Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Buddleia davidii cultivar Monrell.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Buddleia, botanically known as Buddleia davidii, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Monrellxe2x80x99.
The new Buddleia is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Buddleia davidii xe2x80x98Pink Delightxe2x80x99, not patented. The new Buddleia was discovered and selected by the Inventors in a controlled environment in Carlton, Oreg. in June, 1997.
Asexual reproduction of the new Buddleia by cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Carlton, Oreg., since June, 1997, has shown that the unique features of this new Buddleia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Monrell has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Monrellxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Monrellxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Green and pale yellow variegated foliage.
3. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.
4. Light purple-colored flowers arranged on cone-shaped panicles.
Compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Pink Delight, plants of the new Buddleia are more compact. In addition, plants of the new Buddleia have variegated leaves whereas plants of the cultivar Pink Delight have solid green-colored leaves.
Plants of the new Buddleia can be compared to plants of the Buddleia cultivar Harlequin, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Carlton, Oreg., plants of the new Buddleia differed from plants of the cultivar Harlequin in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Buddleia had green and pale yellow variegated foliage whereas plants of the cultivar Harlequin had green and white variegated foliage.
2. Plants of the new Buddleia had lighter purple-colored flowers than plants of the cultivar Harlequin.